This relates in general to air-filled squeeze toys of elastomer material which include whistles; and the methods and apparatus for making the same.
Devices of rubber, synthetic rubber or plastic, equipped with whistles which make a noise when the device is squeezed or flexed, have long been used as toys for children and animals. In many prior art types, the whistle is made of one or more metal pieces which are flanged or crimped together to form the resonant chamber; the metal parts being crimped or clamped to the edges of an opening in the toy body. Children and animals have been known to dislodge and swallow such whistle parts with disastrous results. These metal whistle parts often have sharp edges which cause injuries even if not swallowed. In other cases, whistle parts formed of nonmetal may nevertheless be dislodged and swallowed.
Furthermore, when the whistles are made as separate parts, the task of separately applying the whistles to the bodies of the toys is time consuming and expensive.